Cooper Flagg's impressive rookie campaign came to an abrupt halt Sunday after the No. 1 pick suffered a sprained left ankle in the Dallas Mavericks' regular-season finale against the Chicago Bulls. The injury occurred early in the second quarter when Flagg landed awkwardly following a tip-in attempt between two Bulls defenders. He was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game.

Flagg put together a remarkable first professional season, averaging 21.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals across 70 games. He led the Mavericks in total points, rebounds, assists, and steals, demonstrating his all-around impact on both ends of the court.

The Rookie of the Year race is expected to be intensely competitive, with Flagg facing strong competition from his former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel, who had an outstanding rookie season with the Charlotte Hornets. Knueppel broke the rookie record with a league-leading 273 made 3-pointers, averaging 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game.